Ten Reasons Why Outsourcing Your IT Support Is Good for Your Business

Business
technology is changing at a rate that few companies can keep up with. Even
giant organisations often struggle with outdated systems, and it’s an even
bigger challenge for smaller companies to stay up to date with both technology
and expertise.

It
isn’t only the technology itself that’s changing quickly, though. IT is
changing the way we do business, and one of those ways is an increase in
opportunities for outsourcing. So can outsourcing solve this problem?

Outsourcing
IT support is increasing at a rate of about 5.9% a year, according to Computer
Weekly Magazine. Here are ten top reasons why this may be the right answer for
your business.

1. Reduced Staff Costs

Dedicated
IT staff don’t come cheaply. A good IT Manager is likely to expect a salary of
at least £50,000, and that’s only the start. When you add recruitment costs,
company benefits and ongoing training — essential in a fast-changing
environment — the costs quickly mount up.

Outsourced
IT, on the other hand, just involves a single, regular payment that can be
easily budgeted for. It’s up to the supplier to ensure their staff are up to
date in knowledge.

2. Keeping Up with Skills

Both
new technologies and updated versions of existing systems are coming at such a
rate that it’s difficult to keep up. In practice, it’s not feasible to ensure
all relevant in-house staff are familiar with the latest requirements.

Even
if it were an option to have someone fully trained in house, this too poses
problems. Maintenance of the IT infrastructure is crucial for a business, but
your expert is likely to be idle for a good deal of the time.

On
the other hand, if you have an outsourced unlimited IT support contract, you
can call on a qualified expert with up-to-date knowledge when you need them.
The rest of the time, you don’t have to find them something to do.

3. Flexibility in IT
Support

Having
your own IT engineer may certainly offer some advantages, but it also throws up
numerous problems. What happens if a second crisis arises while the engineer is
already working on a problem? What happens if something arises while your
engineer is on holiday or off sick?

Quite
apart from these issues, one engineer is unlikely to be an expert in every
problem that may arise, even if they can keep up to date with the necessary
training. On the other hand, an outsourced IT company will be able to provide a
full range of expertise whenever you need it. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing
there’ll always be someone available who can solve your crisis.

4. The Recruitment
Dilemma

If
you’re going to employ an IT expert to manage and maintain your systems, you’re
faced with a paradox. You want someone with a high level of knowledge and
ability, but how can you assess that without having an IT background yourself?

This
isn’t a recent dilemma. In 2010, the Confederation of British Industry ran a
Skills Survey which found that 53% of employers doubted their ability to find
staff with the skill required.

Outsourcing
your IT support gets rid of this problem. As long as you satisfy yourself about
the company’s reputation and credibility, you can be confident about leaving
recognition of expertise to them.

5. Productivity Issues

One
common solution to the issue previously outlined, that a dedicated IT Manager may not
have enough to do during some periods, is to train one or more existing staff
members to act as a part-time IT support. This has the dual attractions of
reducing costs and offering flexibility.

However,
not only are these people not genuine IT experts, but working on this area also
takes them away from the jobs you originally hired them to do. There are likely
to be issues they can’t fix, and meanwhile their productivity in helping your
business grow is compromised.

It’s
likely to be a sounder solution in the long run to outsource IT support to a
company that can provide the top expertise, thus leaving your own staff free to
concentrate on what they do best.

6. Up-to-Date Technology

IT
is developing at such a rate that it can be hard to keep up. It may be crucial
for your company to have the latest, cutting-edge technology — but, unless
you’re an expert yourself, how can you be sure you’re making the right choices?

Even
if you have a dedicated IT Manager, they’re not likely to be on top of every
type of technology. An outsourced IT consultancy company, on the hand, will
have a team of specialists who’ll keep you up to date on the new technology
that’s ideal for you.

7. Additional Services

Your
current IT arrangements might suit you at the moment, but in the IT world
standing still means slipping back. Outsourcing to an IT support company means
you’ll have access to a range of additional value-added services when you need
them. These include:

Mobility — In the modern business world, having your workers stuck in the office puts you at a big disadvantage. An outsourced company can help you make your staff
more mobile without compromising security.

Disaster Planning — Any disaster that crashes your system could also crash your company for good. You can avoid that by having a disaster plan to ensure your company can continue.

Cloud Solutions — There are many benefits to migrating to the cloud, including reducing costs for capital and support on an ongoing basis.

The
various extra services the company can provide are likely to improve
efficiency, reduce costs and enhance productivity. They can also reduce the
risks in case of crisis.

8. Being Proactive

Most
companies tend to maintain their IT systems on a break/fix strategy, addressing
problems as they arise. This can often have a negative impact on productivity
while engineers repair faults.

Outsourced
IT support can offer round-the-clock proactive support, identifying and fixing
potential issues before they disrupt your business. It can also provide full
automation for software updates and installing patches, along with ongoing
diagnostics on your server to prevent problems arising.

9. Managing Risks

Outsourcing
your IT support offers the opportunity to manage risks in case of a crisis, as
well as the problems that may arise on an ongoing basis. The agreement may also
include the IT support company accepting legal responsibility, so that you
could seek damages if anything goes wrong.

10. Run Your Business,
Not Your IT

The
IT your company uses is a tool, not an end in itself. Your focus should be on
the big picture, growing your business and increasing your profit, but it’s
easy to get bogged down in detail.

Managing
and maintaining your IT systems doesn’t have to be one of those details, if you
outsource it to a reliable company. Why not get in touch to find out more about
how outsourcing could help you.